Chapter 39

Mom and Dad shared a glance, probably confused by how close Dylan and I seemed. “Of course are,” Mom said softly, reaching for my hand before pressing a quick kiss to my cheek. “It’s nice to see the two of you getting along for once.”

I glanced at Dad, not having any expectations—but to my surprise, a smile appeared on his lips. A real smile.

A proud smile.

“I heard you made the Elite Team within days,” he looked into my eyes. “As expected from you.”

“Really?” Clarence looked impressed. “That’s quite something. You must be really proud of your children,” he added, full of admiration.

Dad chuckled softly, glancing down with a smirk. “I’m always proud of my two children.”

My heart melted at his words.

Two children…

For a moment, it felt like I was finally seen, acknowledged. The pride in his voice as those words left his mouth was something I had been craving for so long.

Even though I walked into it with no expectations, the